Category Archives: hotels in Costa Rica

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This time of year, as the rainy season is ending, the Costa Rica rivers are full and clear. The water and river bed is clean and there is plentiful water washing through the river. River Piedra Colorada is located next to Ylang Ylang. It’s a short 5 minute walk to get to this beautiful river with large rocks, small waterfalls, and a large pool for swimming. If you walk further up the river, you will find quiet and magical spaces to explore.This special place has also become home to a number of rock sculptures that people build upon when they walk by.

Traveling with a gluten sensitivity or intolerance can be challenging, however, in Costa Rica most of the typical food are rice based meals. Here at Ylang Ylang Restaurant, we understand this intolerance and have created a special gluten free menu for our guests for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Our kitchen has been well trained to know which ingredients include gluten and how to replace and avoid them. We offer a number of delicious options for those who avoid gluten, so you won’t be missing out on any meal.

Ylang Ylang Curry made with homemade coconut milk. Can be served with chicken, fish or tofu.

Asian Rice noodles made with a ginger coconut cream sauce.

Seaside Ambrosia. Grilled Eggplant stuffed with fresh fish served on mashed potatoes and topped with a white wine cream sauce.

Namaste Spring Rolls packed with fresh veggies and avocado, served with a sesame dipping sauce.

Part of the beauty of travel to Costa Rica, is meeting the wonderful local people. People in Costa Rica are happy, helpful, friendly and welcoming. Our staff is no exception! Our guests leave feeling as though they have made new friends. Our staff take the time to learn their names and ask them about themselves. Over and over again, we here how wonderful the Ylang Ylang team is to the experience. We love our excellent team!

A special new video made by our friend Dylan Haskin tells the history and story of Ylang Ylang Beach Resort and highlights the many wonderful aspects of vacationing here in Montezuma. We hope you enjoy it!

Ylang Ylang Beach Resort, Montezuma Costa Rica has a special history. The story of this beautiful getaway begins in 1981, when the owners, Lenny and Patricia Iacono acquired the property. They moved to Costa Rica with the intention of living off of the land. They built their home on the property and lived a quiet life. Montezuma at the time had no electricity, water services, and only 2 other businesses. Making a living at that time was a challenge, so they began drying fruit in the sun and created a dried fruit leather called Cocozuma.

The property originally had been used for cattle grazing, so Lenny and Patricia quickly
began planting many trees and plants, which has turned into the lovely lush gardens you see here today. They slowly built winding garden pathways and bungalows.

In 2004, Lenny and Patricia transformed their home into the yoga studio and restaurant
that you see today. From their beginning, healthy and high quality food has been
incredibly important. We use fresh and organic produce as much as possible. We offer a
variety of foods including seafood, chicken, vegetarian, vegan, gluten free and raw foods.

The Ylang Ylang Spa was added in 2009. This relaxing and healing sanctuary offers a
large number of different treatments including massages, scrubs and facials. Twice a day, we offer yoga classes in the beach front yoga studio.

What we repeatedly hear over and over again is how special our staff is. Many guests
come back year after year to visit our Ylang Ylang family and we really are a family.
Many of the people working here have been with us for a number of years. The staff
learns our guests names and treats them as friends. We are proud of our unique staff
members that love what they do and love to share this beautiful country with our guests.
Ylang Ylang continues to be a family run business. We all put a great deal of love into
what we do here everyday.

An important part of our mission, has been to support a local non-profit ecological
association called ASEPALECO. This organization manages and protects a major part of the watershed for the Nicoya Peninsula. We make many efforts to reduce our own impact including solar panels, water treatment systems, safe water filtration, planting trees and cleaning up the local beaches.

Montezuma is unique because it offers so many activities. We really think that you can
get many of the wonderful aspects of Costa Rica here in one place. Montezuma is not easy to get to, but that’s part of thecharm. It’s a hidden gem and once our guests arrive at Ylang Ylang, they say it is most definitely worth the trip.

Enjoy a relaxing massage in our open air spa. The sound of the waves and jungle noises will lull you into relaxation. Our skilled massage therapists will work with your body and make you feel comfortable in our beautiful space. We offer a number of different treatments and styles of massage. You can see our full spa menu on our website with prices. A relaxing massage in Costa Rica is the perfect treat to add to your vacation.

Turning your Costa Rican vacation into an adventure can be done by signing up for a Costa Rica zip line. The zipline in Montezuma takes you above the canopy with ocean views and a jungle ride. You will hike up and down to the platforms, where you will zip through the trees and jungle. Halfway through the tour, you will arrive at the waterfalls where you will have the opportunity to jump off the falls and swim in the pool below. This is a great stop to cool down and enjoy some fun.

A romantic vacation in Costa Rica is exactly what’s needed during these long winter months. Escape to one of our secluded and private bungalows, ocean view rooms, or tree top canopy. Enjoy romantic meals together in our restaurant, where daily breakfast and dinner are included in your room rates. Meals in the restaurant include stunning ocean views and the beach just steps away!

Ylang Ylang Beach Resort is located right on the beaches of Montezuma. Many of the rooms are just steps from the sand and ocean. The beaches of Montezuma are beautiful with clean, warm water and soft sand. Both sunrise and sunset offer some beautiful colors. Montezuma beach stretches from the other side of town past Ylang Ylang, offering plenty of places to sit back and relax.

Our beach front location is ideal for a beautiful and relaxing meal. Our waiters will take excellent care of you while our kitchen will impress you with their delicious flavors! We even have a few tables right down by the beach where you can enjoy your lunch or cocktails with your toes in the sand. We have a full bar including all top shelf liquors and a number of healthy non-alcoholic smoothies and drinks!

Tropical french toast made with our homemade bread and topped with a mix of papaya, watermelon and pineapple

Ylang Ylang Curry made with homemade coconut milk. Can be served with chicken, fish or tofu.

While Montezuma doesn’t get the stunning sunsets that the other side of the peninsula gets, we do get the fabulous sunrise. If you can drag yourself out of bed early enough, you’ll be impressed by the stunning colors as the sun rises over the ocean. No two sunrises will look the same coming up and over the ocean. It’s such a treat to wake up and watch the sun rise from the beach. Enjoy the sunrise in Montezuma!